https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8 Trip deets and overview en-us 2019-01-06 22:58:44 UTC 2026-03-15 01:58:51 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Optimplaces.png tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707129 Costa Rica is a small Central American nation boasting wildlife rich jungles and pristine beaches. The capital San Jose has a population of 350 000 and the country has many active volcanoes to the north, bordering with Nicaragua. Costa Rica is hurricane prone but the season extends from May to November accompanied by tropical rains and an increased tsunami risk. January is the dry season and just avoids peak tourism in February. Costa Rica hosts many endemic flora and fauna species which make it a tourist attraction, particularly for American tourists and tourists from South America and neighbouring Latin America however all review sites I viewed say that while many coastal resorts have an excess of tourists, the capital and jungle areas of the country are largely untapped and provide a unique experience to immerse in the local culture against a stunning natural backdrop. ]]> 2019-01-06 23:01:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707129 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707690 The mountainous skyline of San Jose. ]]> 2019-01-06 23:09:33 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707690 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707882 The Irazu Volcano is a 30 min drive from San Jose and walking to the top provides breathtaking views over the city and surrounds]]> 2019-01-06 23:12:15 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707882 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707973 Also just a short distance from San Jose is the Braulio National Park with jungle boardwalks and monkeys everywhere. This is a more touristy national park ]]> 2019-01-06 23:13:55 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317707973 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317708533 Visas into Costa Rica aren't required for Australian passport holders and free entry is available for Australian tourists for up to 90 days provided you can show evidence for onward or return travel. Important to know however that if you leave the country by air there's a US $29 departure tax (this is sometimes covered by the airline ticket). If we decide to travel to one of the neighbouring countries by road, all tourists must go through a recognised border crossing and pay US $7. Returning back into the country is free. There is little worry about corruption from authority figures given government pathways are used. There are high punishments for government figures or police who try to scam or accept bribes however in touristy areas people have tried to scam tourists selling tickets for fake tours. This is mainly concentrated around Puntarenas and can easily avoided by using legitimate companies. San Jose, while small, is a well-developed city with good medical facilities and many banks and ATMs. The Costa Rican currency is the colon which can only be converted from US dollars though most tourist destinations accept American money and credit cards. Food, clothes, accommodation and transport in Costa Rica are cheap comparatively to Australia but Smart Traveller recommends using credit cards for most transactions due to counterfeit money. ]]> 2019-01-06 23:23:26 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317708533 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709214 Many sloths are endemic to Costa Rica, yet are easy to spot ]]> 2019-01-06 23:36:36 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709214 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709315 We'll be travelling during turtle season]]> 2019-01-06 23:38:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709315 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709415 One of the best places in the world to see toucans]]> 2019-01-06 23:39:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709415 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709505 If you want an adventure holiday, this is the go. From birdlife tours and wildlife safaris in Barra Del Colorado Reserve to crocodile kayaking to jungle ziplining to scuba diving to volcano hiking to turtle sanctuaries every avenue of adventure is covered. As the country is small, travelling around is easy and most roads are well established. Australian family of four described the scenery as "like nothing we've ever seen before. Costa Rica you took our breath away. This was the perfect mix of relaxation on the beach and jungle exploration with the friendliest locals in the world." Wildlife safaris take you on the search for jaguars and wild cats, rare monkeys, tapirs, exotic birds, crocodiles, poison dart frogs, snakes, sloths and more. The safaris from what I've seen are very reasonably priced and many self guided jungle walks and nature reserves are completely free! ]]> 2019-01-06 23:41:10 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709505 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709927 Free canopy walks ]]> 2019-01-06 23:49:27 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317709927 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710034 Jungle Ziplining!!]]> 2019-01-06 23:51:06 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710034 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710090 Family whitewater rafting takes you through the stunning landscape. ]]> 2019-01-06 23:52:06 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710090 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710207 2019-01-06 23:54:00 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710207 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710302 2019-01-06 23:55:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710302 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710437 It would definitely be beneficial to brush up on Spanish before visiting as all signs and information in Costa Rica are written in Spanish excluding hotels and resorts. Under 10% of the population speak a Creole-English mix. Most guided safaris run with an english speaking guide. ]]> 2019-01-06 23:57:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317710437 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317718432 Flying to Costa Rica is unavoidably expensive and tedious. The cheapest airline is Delta which flies via LA and then Atlanta and then onto San Jose with short layovers arriving in 24 hrs from $1473 (prices likely to be even lower given our departure date - this was for June). United flies return from $1641 via LA and then Houston (though with a painful 4hr layover in Houston). Qantas flies in just 20 hours with one short layover in Dallas from $2199. ]]> 2019-01-07 01:39:56 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317718432 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719025 Stunning beaches surround the country. Many with resorts that are perfect to relax in after a week of adventure]]> 2019-01-07 01:46:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719025 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719150 There are many resorts, hotels, houses and camping/bungalow style accommodation options that have a full spectrum of pricetags and qualities ranging from dodge to exorbitant. Like the Guardian article recommended there are many locally operated inns and hotels as well as family stays and jungle cabins that help sustain the local economy. From a quick glance at tripadvisor, there are numerous options for fantastic places to stay offering wildlife experiences, adventures and beaches. ]]> 2019-01-07 01:47:44 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719150 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719352 2019-01-07 01:50:53 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719352 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719473 Smart Traveller rates Costa Rica as yellow on its scale (similarly to india, south africa, thailand, nepal) due to the crime rate and risk of theft. This concerned me at first so I did a bit of digging and didn't come across a single tourist who said they had been robbed or carjacked and many raved about the friendliness of locals. There were a few reports of attempted scammings but this is easily avoided by being an attentive traveller. The one thing that smart traveller stressed is that petty theft is common and tourists may be targeted for this and that passports in particular are an attractive item to criminals. Their advice however was simply to keep passports on you at all times and to be vigilant if something seems off. There is an Australian consulate in San Jose but the nearest embassy is in Mexico so losing a passport is not ideal. Smart Traveller recommended against hiring a car and instead suggests using transport provided by your accommodation or official taxis but on the whole deemed the public transport system as safe and well-maintained and to use it if travelling in a group. There is suspicion of drug activity, particularly in the area of Puntarenas so perhaps this is an area to avoid but nothing to me seemed to be of great concern. There is a malaria risk in Costa Rica along with other diseases such as Zika and Rabies. Moral of the story - don't get bitten by the monkeys and take preventative measures against mosquito bites. Should anything go wrong, the medical facilities in San Jose are effective. ]]> 2019-01-07 01:52:07 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317719473 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317720585 Flights (united, the middle option):  $7705 (but potentially cheaper given dates we're going and if ff points take up to $2000 off cost) 
Accommodation: There is a massive selection ranging from $50 a night to $400 (houses resorts and hotels for five people) so let's say $200 a night over 12 days ... : $2200
Insurance: I made an account with compare the market (meeeerkat) that seemed to list some dodgy looking companies I've never heard of. A family of five for 13 days in Costa Rica is looking at around $200 for comprehensive cover from Budget Direct that had unlimited medical cover, 200 excess and $10 000 luggage which seemed like the best option to me but 'Travel Insuranz' was only $105 but seemed weird and didn't have much medical cover. So let's say $200 
Exit Fee: (for all five of us) $145 by air, $35 by land
Activities: Once again, the cost of activities vary but if we guestimate, say $1000 should cover some fun activities in Costa Rica including ziplining, hiring scuba gear/snorkels and a guided safari tour based on the general prices I was seeing 
Transport: Hiring a car is not recommended by Smart Traveller but public transport and 'directo' buses from city to city are frequent, reliable and cheap as long as you stay wary of theft from the overhead compartments. Bus fares are around $1 USD but city to city buses do not exceed $20. Tuk Tuk's again are very cheap and usually use the local currency and taxis (being careful to only use the official ones) are inexpensive. Maximum $100 on transport. 
Food: Street food is cheap and apparently tasty (don't use ice cubes) and restaurant food is a dynamic fusion of latin american cuisines. Most hotels and resorts provide inclusive breakfasts. Supermarkets are scarce but there are plenty of vendors and no shortage of food. The main expense will likely be buying bottled water. I'm not really sure how much this would cost but for a family of five, eating for a week and a half plus buying bottled water will be a reasonably high cost. 
Incidentals: For the purpose of this let's allow $400 for incidentals, buying souvenirs and doing unplanned activities. 

Total Cost (per my dodgy estimations and based on a 13 day stay in Costa Rica): 
$11, 750 plus food and water (my guess is this would be total about $1000) 

This is well below a $20 000 budget but my total price doesn't include the cost of food and water because I don't know how expensive this will be and some activities could potentially cost more than what I stated, particularly if we decide to do an overnight safari which I haven't factored in. The price includes $400 of incidental expenditures as well. Once in Costa Rica, if we wanted to extend our trip to Panama flights from San Jose to Panama City are a bit of a rip off for about $200 return pp but it's possible to drive across the border in an authorised zone. 

The price would increase obviously should we choose to stay longer or explore other areas in Central America or the Caribbean but the entire trip with extra countries included can be done easily for under $16 000. 

None of this takes into consideration potentially saving up to $2000 on flights with frequent flyer points however using those points and flying the shorter one layover flight with Qantas would equalise the price.

]]> 2019-01-07 02:04:29 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317720585 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317722363 2019-01-07 02:24:10 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317722363 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317724076 2019-01-07 02:45:13 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317724076 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317724207 2019-01-07 02:47:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317724207 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317724399 2019-01-07 02:51:14 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/317724399 tash_lloyd25 https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/318185853 2019-01-08 08:11:35 UTC https://padlet.com/tash_lloyd25/zepafoli7qx8/wish/318185853